Mid Cornwall · TR2 · Cornwall Council Mid
Loft Conversions designed around Probus
A well-designed loft conversion adds a bedroom, an en-suite and useful storage to homes that were never built with the upper floor in mind — usually inside permitted development and almost always cheaper per square metre than extending sideways. The Probus version of this work has its own character — Probus is a substantial inland village between Truro and St Austell, with the tallest church tower in Cornwall and a Conservation Area covering the village centre, with a building stock that leans toward traditional cob and granite cottages and Edwardian villas.
Probus sits in Mid Cornwall — just off the A390; covering TR2 from Grampound, Ladock, Tresillian outward.
- Conservation Area
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓Local to Mid Cornwall — not a national franchise
- ✓Same team on paper as on site
- ✓Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
- ✓Measured-survey accuracy from day one
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Free Probus feasibility call
Tell us about your loft conversion. We reply within 1 working day — no obligation.
Local watch-list
What usually catches loft conversion projects out in Probus.
Watch #1
Conservation Area controls on materials, window proportions and roof form through central Probus
Watch #2
Local Plan tests on isolated dwellings, plus lane access for plant and deliveries around Probus
Watch #3
Party Wall notices and shallow roof voids typical of traditional cob and granite cottages in the TR2 district
Who this is for
In Probus the loft conversion brief is almost always a private homeowner improving a forever home — so we lead with feasibility and long-term value, not show-home rhetoric.
Scope
The parts of the job we can take on in Probus
Not every project needs every stage. On a Probus job we scope to what the site and the consent route actually require.
Planning application drawings
Existing and proposed plans, elevations, site and block plans drawn to validation standard.
Measured survey
An accurate record of what is actually there, which is where most avoidable cost is removed.
Heritage and design statements
Written justification where designation makes the design case as important as the drawing.
Structural coordination
Calculations coordinated with the drawings so building control sees one consistent story.
Full design and build
One contract from first sketch to handover, with the same team on paper and on site.
Who this is for
What we can genuinely back up in Probus
- Design and build are offered from the same studio, which means the person answering your Probus questions has seen the detail built.
- Drawings, planning and building regulations are all produced in-house, so a loft conversion enquiry does not get passed between firms.
- Designated-area work is routine here, so heritage and landscape statements are produced alongside the drawings rather than outsourced.
Planning rules change and every site is different. For the final position on your address, check with Cornwall Council as the local planning authority or the Planning Portal.
Keep reading
Other work we do around Probus
We cover Probus and the wider TR2 district directly. Loft Conversions enquiries here are common enough that we know the constraints before the first visit.
Page purpose
Drawings only, or drawings through to handover in Probus?
Both routes are open on a TR2 project, and the honest answer depends on whether you already have a builder you trust. Plenty of Probus clients take the drawings, tender them locally, then come back to us for the build if the numbers do not stack up.
- Route one: feasibility, planning and a tender-ready technical pack
- Route two: the same pack, then the build under one contract
- Either way the survey and feasibility work is identical, so the decision can wait
- Fees quoted per stage against the TR2 scope, not as one opaque figure
Local context
Why Probus is its own job.
Around Probus (TR2), conservation Area covers the village core including the church. Tregothnan Estate (the largest private estate in Cornwall) lies to the south and shapes some adjacent applications. For loft conversion specifically, parts of Probus sit within a designated Conservation Area, which means materials, fenestration and roof pitches all need to read sympathetically with the existing streetscape; Cornwall Council's Local Plan applies tighter tests to isolated rural dwellings here, so design rationale and policy fit need to be set out clearly from the outset. Reading Probus properly up front saves more time than any drawing tool ever will. Most of our loft conversion work in Probus lands on traditional cob and granite cottages, with detailing that has to nod to the wider Ladock streetscape. On older stock, the practical constraint is usually joinery, render and roof line rather than the extension itself. We draw those details out early so a loft conversion submission is not sent back for missing information. Confirm listing status with the local planning authority before assuming permitted development. Rural and moorland plots bring access, drainage and landscape impact into the conversation early. Agricultural conversions in particular follow their own route, and whether a building qualifies is a question for the local planning authority rather than a general rule.
Planning note
Most Cornish loft conversions are permitted development — but a Certificate of Lawfulness is worth the extra week and small fee for resale protection.
What we focus on
Loft Conversions considerations specific to Probus.
01
Stairs eat space — a loft conversion lives or dies by where the new staircase lands and what it costs you on the floor below.
02
Cornish slate roofs come in a huge range of pitches — anything below a 30° pitch struggles to give usable headroom without raising the ridge.
03
Cut-roof Cornish properties are easier to convert than modern trussed roofs; the structural strategy varies completely.
04
Building regs require minimum 2.0 metre headroom over the stairs and 30-minute fire protection on the existing stair enclosure — both shape the design.
Quick check
Want a straight answer on whether your Probus project is worth pursuing?
Send a few details — we'll come back within 1 working day with a plain-English view on planning risk, likely cost band and whether it's a project we'd take on.
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Get a free feasibility view
For projects in Probus and the TR2 area.
Our process
How a Probus loft conversion project runs.
Step 1
Feasibility
Roof, headroom, stair landing and structural assessment.
Step 2
Design
Layout options that respect the staircase, headroom and bathroom positioning.
Step 3
Approvals
Planning or permitted development confirmation, plus building regs.
Step 4
Build
Sequenced to keep the family living downstairs throughout most of the work.
Step 5
Handover
Finish, snag, certify, hand over the keys.
Loft conversions typically run six to eighteen weeks on site depending on type, with four to eight weeks of design and approvals beforehand.
FAQs
Probus Loft Conversions — local questions answered.
- How long does a loft conversion take?
- Allow six to ten weeks on site for a Velux conversion, eight to fourteen weeks for a dormer, twelve to eighteen weeks for hip-to-gable. Add four to eight weeks for design and regs beforehand. In Probus specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- Will it add value?
- An extra bedroom and bathroom typically adds noticeably more value than the build cost in most Cornish markets — but the value matters less than the daily use you'll get from the space.
- How much does a loft conversion cost?
- A simple Velux conversion starts around £30,000 in Cornwall; a rear dormer with en-suite typically runs £45,000 to £65,000; hip-to-gable and mansards more. Stair location and bathroom complexity drive most of the cost.
- We live in the house. Can a loft conversion in Probus be done while we stay put?
- Usually yes for single-storey and rear work, with a temporary kitchen or bathroom arrangement agreed before the start. Whole-house remodels and roof work in Probus are often easier if you move out for a few weeks. We set that expectation at feasibility stage rather than halfway through.
- Can I live downstairs while it's built?
- Yes — most loft conversions are built with the family staying in the house. There'll be a couple of disruptive days when the staircase comes through, but the bulk of the work is upstairs.
- Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion?
- Often no — most loft conversions sit inside permitted development on a typical Cornish house. Conservation Areas, AONB and properties on principal elevations need full planning, and we'll confirm at first review.
Local proof — We typically have one or two loft conversion jobs live in the TR2 area at any time, so the local planning officers know our drawings on sight.
Get a free feasibility viewOther services in Probus
Nearby places we cover
The loft conversion jobs we're proudest of in Probus are the ones where the planning route was clear before a single elevation was drawn. Victorian terraces in particular need a tailored structural answer.
Take an honest look at your Probus options Drawings now, build later, is a perfectly normal route.
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